Microsoft has decided to entice students to pick up a new Windows 7 PC by once again by offering them a free Xbox 360 console.

You may remember this time last year Microsoft started advertising a back-to-school deal that saw students receive a free Xbox 360 Arcade system if they purchased a $699+ Windows PC. It was limited to students by requiring a .edu email address to qualify, or if you visited a store you could just flash a student ID and receive the free games hardware.

This year is no different. The offer started yesterday and requires you to purchase a system worth at least $699 in the US, or $599 in Canada to receive the free Xbox. The companies taking part in the offer include Best Buy, Dell, Fry’s Electronics, HP, Microsoft’s own stores, and NewEgg. If you’re in Canada, the choice is more limited, but includes Best Buy, Dell, Future Shop, Staples, and The Source. In all cases, the console on offer is the Xbox 360 4GB model.

Although an Xbox may distract students from their studies, Microsoft argues that they also need some downtime. What better way than to relax with a game? And in the process it gets more young people using Microsoft’s console and spending their cash on Xbox rather than PS3 games.

The offer is also very timely considering Microsoft’s biggest game franchise getting a new title in the series later this year. Halo 4 launches on November 6, and you can bet this offer will be mentioning that fact a lot. However, will you be able to take full advantage of all the game has to offer without adding a new hard drive to your free Xbox?